Access to Covid-19 Information and Awareness for People with Visual Impairment in Zimbabwe: The Missing Link: The Case of Harare Central Business District (CBD).

Abstract

The thrust of this study was to determine whether information on Covid 19 was being effectively disserminated to people with visual impairment in ways that made it accessible. Covid 19 has destroyed many lives in the country and indeed other countries. While people with sight have access to information through ordinary print, Television, radio,pictures audios, vedios, pamphlets and other such means,the same may not be said of people with visual impairment. People with visual impairment access information through enlarged print, Braille, radio and other forms. It was therefore imperative to determine whether people with visual impairment really benefitted from the current formats of information dissermination on the ground. The study used the qualitative paradigm in gathering data. The population comprised of fifty people with visual impairment. The sample included thirty females and twenty males. The study found out that people with visual impairment were not effectively accessing information on Covid 19 like sighted people were doing. They were being short changed in a number of ways. The formats being used were not effectively reaching out to people with visual impairment. It was mainly ordinary print that was used and yet many of the people with visual impairment required the use of Braille, enlarged print and others. It was also established that while some of the people may have benefitted from listening to audios and some vedios, the way this information was packaged left a lot to be desired. In most cases people with visual impairment had to seek assistance from other people in order to clearly understand the essence of some of the messages meant to benefit them. Some of the information was conveyed in the form of diagrams, and yet not all people with visual impairment can read diagrams and interpret them correctly. Even those with low vision experienced challenges in understanding diagrams. The study recommended that there was urgent need to present information on Covid 19 in accesible formats that were user friendly to all. Policies also needed to be put in place to help in ensuring that this group of people was not shortchanged in this respect. There was also need for the involvement of people with visual impairment in decision making on information dissemination on Covid 19.